2015 Chase Freedom - $100 Bonus Credit Card Review

Chase Freedom® $100 Bonus is a solid cash rewards credit card issued by JPMorgan Chase. It offers a $100 Bonus to new sign-ups after you spend $500 on purchases during your first 3 months after account opening. You also earn a $25 Bonus when you add your first authorized user to your card and make a purchase within this same 3-month period. This card is designed for those of you who want to earn cold hard cash in return for your spending. Personally, I find it an ultra good deal that users can get up to 5% cash back on some of their purchases, and a flat 1% cash back on all others. Chase Freedom made it to GET.com's Best Rated Credit Cards 2015 in the cash back category.

After looking over the fine print, I'll share with you pros and cons of Chase Freedom® so that you can decide for yourself if this is the best cash rewards card for your personal finances. As a prime cash back card, you need good to excellent credit in order to apply for it.

No annual fee. You don’t have to pay any annual fee to enjoy the cash back rewards and other great cardholder benefits.

Earn a $100 Bonus. This is one of the best deals this card has to offer. You will receive this $100 Bonus after you sign up for your new card and spend just $500 on purchases in your first three months of having this card. This $500 spend cannot be in the form of balance transfers, cash advances or checks.

Earn a $25 Bonus after adding your first authorized user and making a purchase within this same 3-month period.

Receive 5% cash back in quarterly rotating categories like restaurants, gas stations and Amazon.com, for up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter (this is the catch!). 5% cash back is a lot, and this is one of the most attractive benefits this card has to offer. This 5% deal actually averages out to 2% cash back on every category throughout the year, if you take into account a 1% cash back on 3 quarters for the year! You'll be notified in advance which categories you will be able to benefit from each quarter and can then plan your spending for the year. It can help you save a lot of money if you use it to your advantage. The catch: you must activate each quarterly 5% program - it's free, and you can do so via phone, email, text message or online. The good thing is you can sign up for Chase Freedom 5% text reminders so that you will be informed promptly when the time comes for you to activate the next quarter.

Here is the list of rotating categories for 2015 that qualify for 5% cash back, up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter:

Receive 1% cash back on all other purchases. This is a fantastic offer as 1% applies to all your spending, without any spending tiers or minimum/maximum cash back limit! Again, do note that it does not apply to balance transfers, cash advances, checks, travelers checks or money orders.

No earning limit and cash rewards never expire as long as your account is open. Accumulate as much cash back as you want, without worrying if and when it expires. There are also no spending tiers.

0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. This introductory period is great if you want to make a big-ticket purchase and pay it over 15 months or if you want to transfer a balance from an existing card. After the introductory period, your annual percentage rate will be a 13.99% - 22.99% variable APR, depending on your credit score. Do note that you'll still have to pay a balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount you transfer, or $5 minimum.

Chase Blueprint feature included for free. The Blueprint program has certain features which help you repay your balances faster and save on interest. For example, you can choose to pay in full for certain types of purchases each month like gas or groceries so you don't pay any interest on them, even though you already owe a balance.

The Chase Freedom card is such a solid credit card that we don't really dislike anything about it - and that's rare for us to say.

Our Verdict:

4.90/5 Stars

Chase Freedom is a great cash back card to get if you like cash rebates. Personally, I prefer cash back to getting rewards because with cash, you can buy whatever you like or use it however you want. A nice incentive offered to new card members is that you can get a $100 Bonus after you sign up and spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening - a big plus since you only need to spend less than $167 per month in order to get the $100 Bonus! You will also receive a $25 Bonus when you add your first authorized user and make a purchase within this same 3-month period. What I like best is that you get 5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter), which can save you a lot of money if you plan your spending ahead of time.

As a Visa card, you will be able to use this card almost everywhere in the world. Chase Freedom® is a smart choice if you have good to excellent credit and are looking for a rewarding cash back card.

Comments

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Bunny Sessions

I have this card and very happy with it. They have always been great with me, I Love my Freedom Card.

September 24 2014 at 16:39

Margaret Bolfing Crowson

I LOVE this card! I kept waiting for the downside, but happy to say that after 6 months I've experienced nothing negative about it--especially since I have a Chase checking account which makes making payments extremely convenient and timely!

October 07 2014 at 02:09

Linda Rathway Ciez

Love this card!!! I have had it for years...saves me tons of money!!!

November 24 2014 at 06:03

Matt Hussain

how much annually do you actually get?

December 10 2014 at 03:10

Dixie Bennett

What does this card charge for Foreign transaction fees?

December 04 2014 at 18:40

Matt Hussain

3%

December 10 2014 at 03:09

Sean Valdez

how long does it take for you to get the 100 bonus once you do spend the $500 minimum?

October 27 2014 at 06:51

Angela Guzman

im wondering the same thing

November 06 2014 at 18:02

Lisa Marie

You are able to redeem the points as soon as the statement that you spend $500 in generates

If you are paying interest then you are using credit cards incorrectly. The interest rate shouldn't be a factor in deciding what credit card to apply for.

January 13 2015 at 19:44

John Conrath

I have been contacted by every credit card company. I am totally pleased with Chase Freedom and can find NO reason to consider changing. I had one problem occur and within minutes Chase was on my phone advising me of the problem and making the corrections IMMEDIATELY!

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Cards are rated by our team based primarily on the basis of value for money to the cardholder. The GET.com team rates each card based on its annual fee, rewards, benefits, bonus, introductory APR, ongoing APR, flexibility (in how its benefits can be used and how rewards are earned and redeemed), and other card features.

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